Contents

Understand

San Jose is on a plateau in the Central Valley at 1500 meters elevation. It is ringed by lush green mountains and valleys. The population is probably half of the whole country. It contains the University of Costa Rica, the US embassy and many museums, cultural venues, hotels, markets, etc. It is the hub of the country.

Get in

By plane

Juan Santamaría Airport is located in Alajuela 17km or about 20 minutes by car from the center of San José.
There is a local bus stop outside the airport, but you might have to change buses to get to the city center. The taxis charge around 12 US Dollars to take you to the city, be sure to take one of the licensed reddish-orange taxis that say "Taxi Aeropuerto." There are many unlicensed taxi drivers who will charge you almost twice as much as Taxi Aeropuerto. The taxis gladly take Dollars, but the local bus only takes Colones.
There is an ATM by the entrance to the departures that will give you both Colones and Dollars.

By car

There is a decent, if busy, road from the airport to downtown San Jose. You can rent a car at the airport. Driving is a little hectic but probably not as bad as, say, Boston.

By bus

Buses from Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panamá arrive in San José. And of course most local buses start or end here.

Get around

Taxis are generally cheap. All taxis should have a meter. The fare starts at 240 colones. A ride inside the city center will normally cost 500-1000 colones. Be aware that it is close to useless to give a taxi driver an exact street address. You have to point out some well-known building, park or hotel close to where you are going.

Climate

San Jose is at an altitude of about 1000m, so it can get chilly at night.

See

Museo Oro Precolombino (The Gold Museum), under Plaza de la Cultura. Tel 243-4202, [email protected], http://www.museosdelbancocentral.org. Tu-Su 10:00-16:30. Entrance fee $5 for foreigners. The collection consists of 1600 pieces of Pre-Columbian gold work dating from 500 AD to 1500 AD. Information is given on the processing and making of the pieces as well as their social, cultural and religious meanings. Although nice, the museum can not be compared to the magnificent gold museum in Bogotá, Colombia. At the same place you will also find The Numismatic Museum and The Temporary Exhibition Galleries. There is a nice museum shop and a tourist office at the entrance.

Museo de Arte Costarricense, east end of Sabana Park. This used to be San Jose's main airport terminal back when La Sabana was the airport. Tel 222-7155. Tu-Sa 10:00-16:00, Su 10:00-14:00. Entrance fee $5 (students $3).

Cafetería Parisien Gran Hotel, between Theatro Nacional and Plaza de Cultura. Not the most exciting food, but elegant settings.

Manolo's Churreria, Avenida Central, Calle 0/2. Popular soda. Try the chicken tacos, but stay away from the hamburgers. You may also see the local bookie here, taking bets from the regulars.

Drink

El Cafetal de la Luz, Hotel Plaza Amon, Calle 3 Avenida 11, Tel 257-0191. Cocktails (1700-2900 Colones) served on the balcony. Slow service. This cafe is attached to the Clarion Hotel in Barrio Amon, and namesake of the coffee plantation that existed in this neighborhood when electricity was first introduced.

Sleep

Budget

Casa Ridgeway C 15, Av 6/8, Tel +506 221-8288. a comfortable Quaker hostel with a shared kitchen and dining area available for use, a great place to meet like minded travelers, a simple breakfast is included. dorms, singles, doubles, triples available $10-$12 /person.

Mid-range

Kap's Place Street 19, Avenues 11 and 13, #1142 in Barrio Aranjuez. Tel +506 221-1169, [email protected], http://www.kapsplace.com Guesthouse with 13 rooms and 1 large apartment. $30 - $80 including taxes. Guests have free kitchen use and free travel planning help! The K in Kap's Place stands for Karla. It's her house and her service is top notch. Bilingual (English/Spanish).

Hotel Hemingway Inn, Avenida 9, Calle 9, Barrio Amon, Behind I.N.S. Tel +506 221-1804, [email protected], http://www.hemingwayinn.com. Friendly staff but a bit over priced. $58 for a double including traditional breakfast with gallo pinto and tamales. Has a hot tub. The hotel will credit your account with $10 if you get a receipt from the airport taxi. Free internet service.

Splurge

Hotel Don Carlos, beautifully decorated hotel. $67 + tax for a double. There is also a tour operator (expensive) and a nice souvenir shop inside the hotel.

Contact

Stay safe

The traffic is dangerous. Cars don't stop for pedestrians, and they generally drive fast. The area around the Coca Cola Bus Terminal is not safe at night, and you should watch your belongings at all times in the city.

Cope

Get out

Being the capital, San José is the hub for all travel in Costa Rica. You can take the local buses or the more expensive bus services from Interbus or Gray Line Fantasy Bus. There is also a lot of smaller airports dotted around the country.